Thatcher Winery

Thacher Winery was bittersweet. My wife and I went out with our Passport to Paso Robles and was going out for a complimentary tasting and the purchase discounts. It was one of the wineries that was the most furthest out from where we were staying. We were met with our wine guide telling us that they were no longer participating in the passport deal and offers (despite it being printed) and that if we wanted to taste it would be $20 per person. So, we shared a tasting and went through their wines. They had a Viognier that was very delicious. They had a nice Syrah and a GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) and a Zinfandel and a red blend. I liked all the wines, but was put off by the no passport deal after a long drive.  So we decided not to purchase and just payed the tasting fee. The wines where priced between $25-$40 per bottle. On a good note this winery is a member of the Rhone Rangers.

www.thacherwinery.com

Veris Cellers

The service was great. They had some good wine.  The environment was very welcoming.  The wine guide took us through the entire wine list.  We ended up leaving with a sparkling Almond wine (as a gift) and a rose that consisted of Granache Blanc and Temperanillo.  What was unique about this winery was the fact that you can rent golf balls and hit some balls out into the vineyard.  Definately a place for those who are lovers of both golf and wine.

Changala Winery

This tasting room shares space with Kaleido Wines. Our wine guide was great but the tasting had a odd approach you had to taste wines with chocolate.  I have had a chocolate that went well with a savory wine, with one exception for Syrah and dark chocolate from other wineries.  Chocolate is normally reserved for the port-type dessert wines.  The gourmet chocolates were infused with either basil, cayenne pepper, salt and where very delicious.  However the chocolates modified and masked the taste of the wines and didn't pair with the wine.  I feel like I missed out on some of the flavors of the wine. I could only taste extreme tart sour berries. Wines were priced between $25-$30 per bottle. If I go back here I will try a tasting without the infused chocolates if aloud.

www.changalawinery.com

Enriquez Estate Wines

You will find this winery on Adobe road, very easy to miss, but you don't want to.  As long as you have number, call the owner and she can help you find it with ease.

Tastings are by appointment only and she personalizes the tour for you.  It was great being taken around the vineyards, with the planes taking off and landing around the Petaluma airport, and the golf course nearby.  

What she had available to taste was a white blend (Brisa - Sauv Blanc, Muscat and Chard), a (must try) rose of Tempranillo,  an estate Tempranillo (also delicious) and two Pinot Noirs.  As we tasted, Cecilia told her story of how she came to be in the wine business and her family's shared passions for wanting to grow wine.  Enriquez is their family name and they are proud of their Mexican heritage and it comes through on the label and shines in the wine.

The wines are priced between $20-$40 per bottle

Check it out!

Still Waters Vineyards

Wonderful view of the vineyards and great greenery to walk around. Has nice outdoor seating that faces the vineyards along the hillside. You also will see old olive trees.
Walking inside, very friendly, warm staff. Wines were great. I enjoyed their Chardonnay and Viognier and their Syrah. I ended up taking a bottle of each. While we did our tasting, we also got to taste their estate olive oil with fresh bread.

Their chardonnay has a very rich creme brulee, buttery flavor, with hints of pineapple with a little coconut finish on the end. The Viognier was very floral, citrus, honeysuckle. The palate was clean, crisp, asian pear, not syrupy or oily - perfectly balanced. The prices per bottle of wine is between $20-$40.

Compared to the other wineries in Paso, this would rank near the top.

http://www.stillwatersvineyards.com/

Polmar Junction Vineyard & Winery

This winery was very down-to earth. When I say that I mean laid-back and not at all pretentious, like what you'd sometimes find in most Napa Valley tastings rooms.

Becky, our wine guide, was knowledgeable and awesome. She gave us several maps of Paso Robles and gave us several recommendations of places to visit, based on our taste preferences. Of their wines, the Viognier, Zin, and Cab Sauv where all great. Most of the wines were estate grown and all award winners. The wines I enjoyed the most was a red blend called the 2010 Train Wreck and a late harvest Viognier called Amber Moonlight. they also had another late harvest Viognier that was beyond but amazing. Wines average between $30-$50 per bottle. This winery is also apart of the Rhone Rangers which is an organization dedicated to promoting and educating Rhone varietals to the public.

Next time I come back to the Paso area, I'm definitely going to be back here!

www.pomarjunction.com

Lone Oak Estate Winery

  So if you're ever out in Cloverdale you will find this winery.  It is conveniently on Hwy 128.  Small production winery.  Most of their wines are estate grown.  They have  a chardonnay, a merlot/rose and a 2002 Merlot that is amazing for the price.  They also have a great 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Sangiovese.  One thing that makes this winery unique is that they let their wines age in the barrels longer than is common in the industry. Staff here was very friendly laid back and knowledgable on wine. Check it out

Chateau Montelena Winery

This winery is historic for making a chardonnay that beat Frances in a blind tasting in 1976 putting Napa and many other Californian wineries on the map for producing great wines.
I took my wife out here for Mothers day here in 2011. The Winery has an amazing beautiful view of the hills a lovely  decorated garden and pond. Of course if you seen the movie Bottled Shock you will see the classic land marks shown in the film. The wine tasting experience was great  and our server was a true gentleman. Loved the Riesling Chardonnay and  2008 Estate Zinfandel, 2008 Estate Cab were all awesome we left with a bottle of Riesling and the 08 Cab. Prices per bottle are between  $40-$150. Check it Out



www.montelena.com/

Inman Family Wines

This is a cool spot looks like a regular barn on the outside but as you enter the side you see patio furniture.  Walk inside you'll find a tasting room with counter tops made of broken wine bottles that look like multi colored cortz stone with recycled wood very cool. This winery mostly do Pinots  Chardonnays but I must say I'm a fan of the rose of pinot called the Endless Crush and the beautiful romantic story behind the name. I wont ruin it but you must walk in and try the wines and hear the story from vintner Kathleen Inman. Prices per bottle is $30 -$40.

Iron Horse Winery

You will find this beautiful winery in the small town of Sebastopol out in Sonoma County. Its in the Green Valley AVA. Iron Horse specializes in making premium Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wines. Tasting fee is a steep $15 for still wine flight and $20 per person for sparkling wine flight. Most of the wines here are between $30-$100 per bottle. My favorite wine here is the sparkling wedding cuvée.  This winery has a wonderful view great music and friendly staff. Check it out if your ever in Sonoma County.

Kunde Family Estate Winery

This is a great winery with lots of outdoor setting. If  you were out in Kenwood and wanted to grab a bottle and have a picnic out front Kunde would be the perfect place. My wife took me here for Fathers Day last year. We did the the tour hilltop tasting. Since it was Fathers Day there were very few people out wine tasting. So we turned out to be the only ones to do the hilltop tour. We got a guided tour in the van, seeing some spots such as the boxing ring from the movie Bottle Shock and a tour of the vineyards. When we got to the very top there is this awesome view and a wine bar with two very comfortable chairs staring out at the valley. I loved all the wines I tasted. I ended up leaving with a bottle of Port, Cab Reserve, Chardonnay and a Zinfandel. My wife treated me very well that day. Most of the wines are between $30-$45 per bottle.

http://www.kunde.com/

Fritz Underground Winery

I and a group of 8 were doing a limousine wine tour. Our driver recommended we check out Fritz Underground Winery. When we came in to the winery we get scolded at by two of the staff members for not calling in to make an appointment first. We were then told to get out of the tasting room and to sit outside if we wanted to do a tasting (with an eye roll). I and my group felt really bad.

We were seated out at the picnic benches by the hillside where there was a great view of a lake below. A lady came out 10 minutes later and took us through the wines. Maybe it was the scolding but the wines were just ok to me. No one else came inside the tasting room so we didn't seem to be intruding in any appointments during our visit. We left with a sour bitter taste in our mouths due to the level of service we got.

I understand we were a big group and respect that some wineries require a fair notice of time to accommodate a group coming in. However I felt like some of the staff handled us the wrong way. As if we were naughty children who had mud and dung on our feet. We would of rather been told to kindly leave.

If you plan on going here be sure to call first!

Navarro Vineyards & Winery

Its unusual that I go to a winery and find that I like the white wines better than the reds. The reds where decent but what blew me away was the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and the Edelzwicker a blend of Gewurztaminer and Riesling. To be honest, I liked every one of their white wines. But those were the ones that really appealed to my palate that day. Staff was very polite and knowledgeable too. Good place to stop by if your visiting Mendocino County. There is plenty of out door seating. You can by some of their cheeses with a bottle of wine. Sit outside and enjoy the scenery with some good company. So, if you like whites mines, definitely make a stop by this place.

Sarzotti Vineyard & Winery

It is always nice to go to a winery and be able speak to the vintner. When I came into this winery I got a down to earth country vibe , with Garth Brooks playing in the background. There were nice assortments of cheese and crackers to eat while tasting. This winery is family owned and operated very small production. They have really good award winning Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon with very fair pricing. The wines here are very bold, heavy in tannins almost a kick in the mouth in a good way. These are wines to go with a beef or lamb dish with some water,  not something to drink outside on a hot day. If your visiting Paso Robles you must make a trip to this winery.

Old World Winery

What I liked about OWW, is that they make wines both new style and old world style. One of the wines I liked during barrel tasting was the Sauv Blanc - fermented in a cement egg shaped fermenters and then aged in neutral oak - which was crisp yet had a minerally taste to it which I liked and appreciated. I also enjoyed from the barrel a grape varietal called ABORIOU which is rarely grown in California and almost an extinct grape varietal originally from France. Very interesting and look forward to its bottling. Vintner/Owner Darek Towbridge runs a very friendly winery. I actually brought my son by one day to buy some wine. I ended up staying over for an hour because my son got to play with Dareks kids and see some of the farm animals they have on the property. Darek makes a special secret blend of red wines sold in ez top jugs known as the Juggernaut. the cost is only $25 but you can return the bottle and get a full jug for $20. ( nice way to recycle!) Most of the wines are between $20-$40 per bottle. This winery is easy to miss, being the first winery on River road off 101 in Santa Rosa.Ca but worth the stop.
www.oldworldwinery.com

My Experience at Imagery Winery

I've said I would share my bad experiences as well as the good ones. Well
folks, here's a negative one.

I went to this winery first in the summer of 2006 and had a great
experience. This was pretty special as it was the very first winery I went
to for wine tasting. Because it was my first winery experience, Imagery was
a special place to me. There are various uncommon varietals that I was
introduced to here, such as Viognier (which is now my favorite white wine.)
Besides the delicious wines, I loved how each bottle had very cool art work
from artists around the world.

My very last visit was in December of 2010. I brought a family friend here
to check out the art work and and the great wines. Started off ok and we
thought our tasting room lady was nice - just busy multitasking with
multiple people who were also tasting. But then we overheard a man in the
group she was helping as she looked over at us and he said "you can put
koolaid in the wine they wouldn't know the difference." The whole group
laughed along with the server. Of course, at this point I'm hoping this is
not really happening or maybe that I might be misinterpreting what just
occurred. But I couldn't hide the fact that the jerks comment was towards me
and my friend. The server did not defend us or realize how wrong that
statement was and pretty much condoned this kind of behavior. It took a few
seconds to take in this whole surreal event. I was very angry and enraged
but did not want to show how badly I was bothered by it. I felt like we
where in an environment that we were being told we didn't belong in and was
established only for people who were white.

My friend and I looked at each other, poured our wine into the dump bucket,
put our glasses down, put $20 tasting fee down on the counter, and left
before we exploded. FYI I hate koolaid, water melon, grape soda, but I do
love wine and fried chicken.

Though I had my first wine tasting experience her almost 7 years ago I can
never go back here. I can't be angry at this winery for how customers and
patrons may treat me. But I'm definitely disturbed on how the staff handles
racist customers, even if they do plan on buying a case or 2 of wine.

Due to my experience here I cannot recommend this place because of the level
of customer service. This is sad to me, because the wines produced here are
actually unique and well-made.

Prager Portworks

I love a winery that does lots of port tastings. As you walk inside the winery into the tasting room you find thousands of dollar bills with guest signatures on them stapled to the ceilings and walls. There is also a cool cigar section. There was 4 ports to taste from to ruby style ports, one tawny and a decadent white port there was a petite syrah and a late harvest riesling as well. Tasting fee is $10 per person and you get a wine glass at the end. I left with a bottle of 2006 Tomas port.
The staff here was very welcoming knowledgeable and made me feel at home. This winery also does custom bottle etching for special occasions. As a very good friend had a bottle of port made for me to give to my son when he is of age to drink.port if stored right port can last many years. Prices for port here are from $25-$50 per bottle. If you go here be sure this places is your last stop as your palate will be shot after having sweet wines.

www.pragerport.com‎